Pankaj Oudhia’s Notes on Xanthium strumarium L. [Kirtikar, Kanhoba Ranchoddas, and Baman Das Basu. "Indian Medicinal Plants." Indian Medicinal Plants. (1918)].
Pankaj Oudhia’s Notes on Xanthium
strumarium L. [Kirtikar, Kanhoba Ranchoddas, and Baman Das Basu.
"Indian Medicinal Plants." Indian
Medicinal Plants. (1918)].
Pankaj Oudhia
Introduction
Based on Ethnobotanical
surveys since year 1990 in different parts of India Pankaj Oudhia has
documented vital information about Medicinal Plants mentioned in the famous
publication by Kirtikar and Basu (1918). Through this research document Pankaj
Oudhia has tried to present original document with additional notes. For
complete paper with pictures, Interactive Tables, Video and Audio clips please
visit pankajoudhia.com
For original publication by Kirtikar and Basu (1918) please visit https://archive.org/details/indianmedicinalp01kirt
646. Xanthium
strumarium, Linn, h.f.b.i., hi.
303.
Syn. : — X.
indicum, D.C. Roxb. 660.
Sans. : —
Aristha.
684 INDIAN
MEDICINAL PLANTS.
Vern, :—
Chhota-gokhru ? (Hind.) ; Bun-okra (BeDg.) ; Shan
keshvara ; Dhupa
(Bomb.) ; Marlumulta (Tain.) ; Veritel-nep
(Tel.) ;
Gokhroo, kullan (Sind ; Pb.)
Habitat : —
Throughout the hotter parts of India/ usually
near houses ;
ascending the Western Himalaya to 5,000 ft.
An annual
coarse, rough, unarmed herb. Stem short, stout,
slightly branched,
spotted, harsh with bristly hairs. Leaves
petioled, 2-3in.
long, scabrid, triangular-cordate or orbicular
lobed and
toothed, base cuneate. Heads in terminal and
axillary
racemes, fruiting involucres fin. long, ovoid or oblong,
beaks erect or
diverging. Achenes enclosed in the hardened
involucral
cells, ovoid thick ; pappus absent.
Use : — The
whole plant is supposed to possess powerful dia-
phoretic and
sedative properties. It is generally administered
in the form of
decoction, and is said to be very efficacious in long
standing cases
of malarious fever -;S. Arjun). Mr. Baden-
Powell says that
the root is a bitter tonic, useful in cancer [Pankaj Oudhia’s Comment: I have
documented information about over 60,000 Traditional Herbal Formulations in
which Xanthium parts are used as important ingredient. These Formulations are
used in treatment of different types of cancer. The Traditional Healers of
Chhattisgarh and Odisha use it for cancer prevention also. Please see Tables
Xanth-1 to Xanth-30 for details.] and
strumous
diseases. The prickly fruit considered cooling and
demulcent and is
given in small-pox, (Stewart). [Pankaj Oudhia’s Comment: It is popular
among the Healers having expertise in treatment of different types of fever.
The Malaria experts of Bastar use Xanthium based over 3000 Traditional Herbal
Formulations. In these Formulations Xanthium is added as secondary ingredient.
Please see Table Xanth-31 to Xanth-40 for details.]
In America and
Australia, this plant has been observed to
prove fatal to
cattle and pigs. [Pankaj
Oudhia’s Comment: Agree. The Traditional Healers are well aware of remedial
measure to manage such poisoning in cattle.] Its hairs and
prickles are em-
ployed as
medicine in China (Dymock). [Pankaj Oudhia’s Comment: Also in India.]
In Southern
India, the prickly involucre is applied to the ear,
or tied in a
bunch to the ear-ring, to cure hemi-crania (Elliott). [Pankaj Oudhia’s Comment: It
is popular treatment Migraine in other parts of India also.]
■■ Has proved
very useful in urinary diseases, a good diuretic,
diminishes the
irritability of the bladder. Very useful also
in gleet and
leucorrhoea, given as infusion or in one drachm
doses in powder.
Has also been given in menorrhagia (Penny,
in Watt's
Dictionary).
The fruits are
slightly narcotic (Surgeon Mukerji, in Watt's
Dictionary.)
E-documents on
Xanthium
Citation
Oudhia, Pankaj (2013).
Pankaj Oudhia’s Notes on Xanthium strumarium L. [Kirtikar, Kanhoba Ranchoddas, and Baman Das Basu.
"Indian Medicinal Plants." Indian
Medicinal Plants. (1918)]. www.pankajoudhia.com
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